Christian Benteke & Tyler Miller selected for MLS All Star 2023

D.C. United forward Christian Benteke and goalkeeper Tyler Miller have been named to the MLS All-Star team for the 2023 match against English Premier League side Arsenal. Both players were selected by head coach Wayne Rooney as part of the coaches picks.

Benteke has been in excellent form this year for the Black and Red, being a threat in the air and leading the way in the scoring charts for the club with 8 goals, while also contributing with 3 assists. Miller has started every single MLS match so far this year and has recorded 6 clean sheets and 51 saves.

The MLS All Star roster was picked by 3 different methods, fan/player/media votes (12 players), coaches pick (12 players) and 2 commissioner’s picks. The full roster is below and how they were picked.

GOALKEEPERS (3): Roman Bürki (St. Louis CITY SC / Voted In), Tyler Miller (D.C. United / Coach’s Selection), Djordje Petrović (New England Revolution / Coach’s Selection)

DEFENDERS (7): Álvaro Barreal (FC Cincinnati / Voted In), Jon Gallagher (Austin FC / Voted In), Ryan Hollingshead (LAFC / Coach’s Selection), Matt Miazga (FC Cincinnati / Voted In), Tim Parker (St. Louis CITY SC / Coach’s Selection), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls / Coach’s Selection), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC / Voted In)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati / Voted In), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United / Voted In), Mathieu Choinière (CF Montréal / Commissioner’s Selection), Héctor Herrera (Houston Dynamo FC / Coach’s Selection), José Martínez (Philadelphia Union / Coach’s Selection), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew / Voted In), Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC / Voted In), Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy / Coach’s Selection), Lucas Zelarayán (Columbus Crew / Coach’s Selection)

FORWARDS / WINGERS (7): Christian Benteke (D.C. United / Coach’s Selection), Dénis Bouanga (LAFC / Voted In), Cristian Espinoza (San Jose Earthquakes / Coach’s Selection), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas / Voted In), Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United / Coach’s Selection), Kei Kamara (Chicago Fire FC / Commissioner’s Selection), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC / Voted In)

Highlights of the 2023 MLS All-Star roster include the following:

• Sitting atop the Supporters’ Shield standings with 43 points, FC Cincinnati led all MLS clubs with three players selected to the All-Star roster: midfielder Luciano Acosta and defenders Álvaro Barreal and Matt Miazga.

• Overall, 18 clubs are represented on this year’s All-Star Game roster: Atlanta United, Austin FC, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo FC, LA Galaxy, LAFC, CF Montréal, Nashville SC, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, and St. Louis CITY SC.

• The players have ties to 15 different countries: Argentina (four players), Armenia (one), Belgium (one), Canada (one), Gabon (one), Germany (one), Greece (one), Ireland (one), Mexico (one), Serbia (one), Sierra Leone (one), Spain (one), Switzerland (one), Venezuela (one), and the United States (nine).

• Nineteen of the 26 players will be making their MLS All-Star Game debut, while Nashville SC’s Walker Zimmerman is the most-capped All-Star on this year’s team, making his fourth appearance.

• Eight of the 26 players on the All-Star roster arrived in MLS in 2022 or later: Thiago Almada (Atlanta United), Christian Benteke (D.C. United), Dénis Bouanga (LAFC), Roman Bürki (St. Louis CITY SC), Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United FC), Héctor Herrera (Houston Dynamo FC), Djordje Petrović (New England Revolution), and Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy)

The MLS All Star match is being broadcast through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.